Process of temporarily preserving green vegetables.



G. H. PLUMMER.

PROCESS or TEMPORARILY PRESERVING GREEN VEGETABLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1912. 1,055,353.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPM IQ-WASHINGTON, 9.1L

CLARENCE H. PLUMMER,

STATES PATENT OF OF BLACK RIVER FALLS,

WISCONSIN.

PROCESS OF TEMPORARILY PRESERVING GREEN VEGETABLES.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE H. Primr- Mnn, acitizen of the United States, residing at Black River Falls, county ofJackson, and State of WVisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Processes of Temporarily Preserving Green Vegetables, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in processes of temporarilypreserving green peas, beans, and similar vegetables, preparatory tosterilizing and canning them.

The harvesting period for canning vegetables is comparatively brief, andit is not practicable under ordinary conditions, to sterilize and canthe vegetables as fast as they are harvested. On the contrary, it isfrequently necessary to prepare the vegetables for canning and can themon the day following the day on which they are harvested, and heretoforethis has resulted in the loss of large quantities. Green peas areespecially subject to heating or fermentation, and peas harvested duringthe afternoon when the temperature is high, will frequently mold beforethe following morning, and will always deteriorate to a considerableextent under the methods heretofore employed which involve storing themin large piles or in boxes, whereby pressure is developed at the bottomof the pile.

The object of this invention is to provide means for preserving the peasor other vegetables in their original fresh condition, until they can besterilized and canned, and this I am able to accomplish by relievingthem from heat and pressure in the interval between the harvesting andcanning operation in the manner hereinafter set forth.

In the following description, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is an illustration, in vertical sec- 45tion, of a storage receptacle for peas embodying the preferred form ofapparatus for carrying out my improved process. Fig. 2 is a similarview, showing a modified form of apparatus.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters in bothviews.

In carrying out my improved process, I subject the peas either in or outof the pods, to the action of an ascending current of 55 cold water. Inthe drawing, I have illustrated a receptacle A, adapted to receive thepeas and provided with pipe connections H leading to the bottom of thereceptacle from a suitable main C, connected with a source of watersupply. The receptacle is provided with an overflow, or preferably aseries of overflows D, at the top, whereby the water may escape aftercirculating through the contents of the receptacle. The specific gravityof these vegetables is not much greater than that of the water, whichcirculates among them, and as the water is preferably permitted to enterthe recep tacle at the bottom, it has a tendency to lift the 'egetablesand prevent them from pressing upon each other to an injurious extent.The vegetables being relieved of pressure, it is obvious that the waterwill circulate freely among them. Cold water is employed and the heat ofthe vegetables is absorbed by it and carried away in the overflow,thereby keeping the vegetables cool and fresh, as well as free frompressure. Experiments have demonstrated that stagnant water, howevercold. when applied to the vegetables, does not efiiciently preserve themfor even a short or overnight period. This is partly due to the factthat the stagnant water does not prevent the vegetables from settlingtogether, and partly to the fact that the water becomes warm from theabsorbed heat. I have found that flowing water, even thoughcomparatively warm, is much more efficacious than stagnant water appliedat any temperature.

The specific form of apparatus illustrated is not essential. In Fig. 2 Ihave illustrated a receptacle A having a false bottom F, having a seriesof openings 7, through which water may pass fro-m the space between thefalse bottom and the bottom a. With this arrangement, the fresh watermay be admitted to such space through a single pipe II.

It is not essential that the water he kept in continuous motion duringthe entire period that the peas are being stored, preparatory to thesterilizing and canning operations, for I have found that by continuingthe circulation of water until the peas are thoroughly cooled, the flowmay then'be stopped for a considerable period without material injury tothe vegetables. For example, I find that after the peas have beensubjected to the current of water for a peas is contained in thereceptacle.

period ranging from 15 minutes to an hour, the fioW of Water may then bestopped for several hours and the period of required circulation dependsin duration to a large extent upon the quantity in the receptacle andupon the temperature conditions at the time of harvesting, also upon thetempera ture of the Water employed. Where the mass of peas is large, itWill settle more quickly and with greater pressure than Where acomparatively small quantity of Ordinarily, receptacles Will be employedof such size that by maintaining a Water flow for an initial period offrom one-half hour to an hour, and subsequently for periods of from 15to minutes in from four: to six hour intervals, the peas will bepreserved in a fresh condition. Where harvested dur ing the afternoon,and thoroughly chilled during the initial period of Water flow, theWater should be turned on once or twice during the night for asuflicient length of time to completely change the Water in the tank.The introduction of fresh Water changing the Water in the tank, will ofcourse take place With sufficient frequency to prevent the temperaturefrom rising to a point favorable to fermentation.

I claim 1. The process of temporarily preserving 0 green vegetables,such as peas and beans, consisting in subjecting them to an upwardlyflowing stream of cool Water, substantially as described.

2. The process of temporarily preserving green vegetables, such as peasand beans, consisting in 1st, storing them in a suitable receptacle, and2nd, in subjecting them to the action of a moving body of cool Water fora sufiicient period to reduce their temperature approximately to that ofthe Water, substantially as described.

3. The process of temporarily preserving green vegetables, such as peasand beans, consisting in 1st, immersing said vegetables in cool Water,and 2nd, in in troducing additional Water and causing the same to flowthrough the vegetables at sufliciently frequent intervals to prevent thetemperature from rising sufliciently to permit fermentation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of tWoWitnesses.

CLARENCE H. PLUMMER.

Witnessesz' LEvERE'rT C. WHEELER, IRMA D. BREMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

